DANIEL Y. ZOHAR
Daniel Y. Zohar is a trial lawyer, first and foremost. In 1998, Mr. Zohar left the comforts of his practice at a large, internationally-acclaimed law firm, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker, to start his own firm. Since then, he has achieved exceptional results, registering over $867 million in jury verdicts, judicial orders, and settlements for his clients and for consumers. Mr. Zohar now focuses his trial practice in the areas of contingency business and entertainment litigation, as well as large-scale consumer rights.
Sharing the risk
Many of Mr. Zohar’s cases have been handled on a contingency basis, including numerous business and entertainment disputes. This allows clients to save resources and limit their out-of-pocket legal expenses. Whether it is an individual, a family-owned business or a Fortune 500 company, Mr. Zohar’s creative fee arrangements have allowed his clients to pursue complex claims without the fear of massive monthly legal bills.
Broad experience, exceptional results
Over the years, Daniel Y. Zohar has litigated a variety of matters involving issues ranging from shareholder disputes, executive compensation claims (including stock options and profit bonuses), 1st amendment rights, legal malpractice, real estate litigation, website domain disputes, copyright infringement, wrongful termination, catastrophic torts, trade secret theft, illegal insurance practices, and major league baseball arbitrations for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Such efforts include:
- Representing a CEO in a dispute with an LA-based company over verbally promised stock options, resulting in a unanimous jury verdict of $1.92 Million
- Obtaining a $7.5 million arbitration award on behalf of an oppressed minority shareholder of a successful computer software company
- Saving nearly 3 million consumers over $500 million on their Allstate auto and homeowner’s insurance premiums
- Serving as Los Angeles counsel in the nationally-publicized “baby-switching” case involving the University of Virginia
- Winning the domain rights for a Hollywood client in a UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute Resolution Policy) arbitration
- Winning a $1.52 million arbitration award for an advertising executive based on a contractual bonus provision
- Successful defense of claims involving a dispute over $105 Million in Los Angeles real estate
Mr. Zohar has also been on the cutting edge of electronic discovery, achieving record results. In a case filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, his efforts led to an award of $1,660,000 in sanctions against the opposing party after electronic discovery produced previously concealed documents. Daniel Y. Zohar has been a regular lecturer and author regarding the use of technology before trial and in front of a jury.
Recognized by peers
Daniel Y. Zohar has been inducted as a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). For his efforts, he is also rated “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell, their highest peer review rating for ethical standards and legal ability. For eighteen years, he has been selected by his peers as one of Southern California’s “Super Lawyers” featured in Los Angeles Magazine. Only 5% of lawyers in a region earn this designation via independent research and polling of active attorneys. He is also listed in the Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Lawyers.
National exposure
Daniel Y. Zohar has been involved in state and national legislative issues affecting consumers and small businesses. He has met with members of Congress in Washington, D.C. and numerous California legislators in Sacramento. Mr. Zohar has been interviewed for his legal expertise on nationally-broadcast programs and has been quoted in numerous publications across the country.
Prominent positions
Daniel Y. Zohar has served on the Board of Governors for the Los Angeles chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL). He is also a long-time member of the Board of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), arguably the nation’s most active and influential local bar association. He is a three-time chair of the CAALA annual convention (attended by over 2,000 attorneys) and a regular speaker. Mr. Zohar was previously appointed, along with other leading attorneys and members of the judiciary, to the Los Angeles Superior Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee. He has proudly served as a member of the Corporate Advisory Board of Shane’s Inspiration, a non-profit organization dedicated to building universally-accessible playgrounds for children across the United States.
Publications:
- The Advocate: Finding liability arising out of business dealings in the absence of a contract. PDF »
- The Advocate: Let’s roll the videotape. PDF »
- Damages: what to expect from the defense in contesting damages PDF »
- Trial Briefs and 402 Hearings. PDF »
Teaching Positions/Lectures/Seminars:
In addition to overseeing his private practice, since 2013, Mr. Zohar has been a faculty member and lecturer at the UCLA School of Law. Mr. Zohar has also spoken on the following topics at various trial lawyer conventions and meetings:
- “Admitting and Using Videos at Trial”
- “Electronic Database Evidence: Admissibility, Privacy and Attorney Work Product Issues”
- “Discovery in the Internet Age”
- “Damages- What to Expect from the Defense”
- “Evidentiary Issues in Motions for Summary Judgment”
- “Trial briefs and Evidence Code 402 hearings”
- “The Mind of the Millennial Law Student: Insight on the Expectations of Today’s New Lawyers.”
Personal Background
Daniel Y. Zohar was born and raised in New York. He was president of the Syosset High School class of 1986, and was a three-letter varsity athlete. Before practicing law, Mr. Zohar studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, where he learned to speak French, and he later worked as a tennis pro in England and Switzerland. An avid world traveler, he has visited 20 countries on 5 different continents. He is possibly the first person to ever hit tennis balls against the Great Wall of China.
He is a graduate of Duke University (B.A. ’90) and UCLA School of Law (J.D. ’93). He is a member of both the State Bar of California and the Florida Bar, and has been admitted pro hac vice in New Jersey, Delaware, Utah, and Arizona. He is admitted to the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida; U.S. District Court, Central, Eastern & Southern Districts of California, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
TODD FOREMAN
Todd M. Foreman, who is licensed to practice law in both California (active) and Georgia (inactive), has been practicing since 2003 in both the private and non-profit/public sectors.
Private Sector
After graduation, Mr. Foreman spent several years honing his skills at the law firms of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP and Leader Counsel. His work at these firms allowed him to get unusual trial practice for such a young lawyer, including coordinating all aspects of litigation, from drafting the complaint to overseeing all phases of discovery and conducting half-day bench trials. Substantively, his work spanned numerous areas, including commercial landlord tenant, legal malpractice, real estate disputes, and business disputes.
Non-Profit/Public Sector
Mr. Foreman also spent five years as Staff Counsel at the consumer advocacy organization Consumer Watchdog. While at Consumer Watchdog, Mr. Foreman worked primarily as lead or co-lead counsel on insurance regulatory matters, and he also worked on several large consumer class-action lawsuits. Mr. Foreman’s work while at Consumer Watchdog led to significant results, including registering administrative orders and judgments totaling over $1 billion. Mr. Foreman subsequently worked as a Senior Staff Counsel within the California Department of Insurance’s Consumer Services and Market Conduct Branch, advising the Department’s executive staff on regulatory issues.
Education
Mr. Foreman is a 2003 graduate of UCLA School of Law, where he was the Chief Managing Editor for both the UCLA Law Review and the UCLA Journal of Environmental Law and Policy. Mr. Foreman also completed the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy and the Critical Race Studies Specialization. Mr. Foreman also graduated cum laude from Florida State University with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Social Science.
Personal
Mr. Foreman is an avid home chef and sports fan. He enjoys watching Atlanta United soccer and Los Angeles Kings hockey and is a regular coach of his kids’ youth sports teams. In his younger days, Mr. Foreman spent a season teaching skiing and snowboarding, ran 17 marathons over the course of 10 years, and in 1997, he thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 176 days. Mr. Foreman also enjoys international travel and lived in Botswana from 2019 to 2021.